Howdy
e'rybody! Just wanted to give you a little update on the awesome that
is Analog Game Night. We're now up to bimonthly, with board and card
game fun to be had on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month.

Have you been itching to donate things to Freeside, but you’re not sure what we need? Have you been looking for volunteer opportunities to use your awesome skills? This monthly post shall be your guide, henceforth!Look for all these things in our up-to-date Wishlist, the next time you're out and about and wondering what extras you could throw in the cart to bring on down!We're always looking for new opportunities to facilitate projects/education in the space. New equipment can help us do that, so we decided to make a wishlist of some of the things that we need for the space.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Electrical wiring: running new outlets, and...other activities...Woodworking, construction: help with shelf/hutch building for electronics, help with member storage build-outMural Art: artists, pick a spot on the wall and make it yours! We also want input on designing logos for each of our zones

Consumables:

ABS: Our 3D printers need more spools in a variety of colorsBatteries: 9VPaint (dark, black, matte): for shrouding the stage in the darknessPaint (brighter colors especially, not black/grey/white): we are painting an internet meme explosion mural in the front bathroom, and Carrie needs more paintPrinter ink for the HP L7680

Software:

Recording and mastering software/hardwareValid Windows licensesVOIP solution for linking our Google Voice number (or similar service) to the space

Hardware:

Good, functional computersAudio/lighting/DJ equipmentInteresting Human Interface DevicesArduinos, other automation controllers or kitsRaspberry Pis: for use with the access control project, or with the informational kiosks like we have in the welcome zone4+ port NIC card for rack system, or full system: we are trying to build a router to create subnets, see Alan or any IT staff person for detailsMounts for rack systems: stacking the pizza boxen on top of each other just won’t doLarger LCD monitors, flat screen TVs: we want to put up informational kiosk displays around the spaceBreadboards: some members have asked and are unclear if some “projects” could be reclaimed or if there are extra breadboards to go aroundFolding chairs: for when we host large talks or eventsDoor and ceiling: for the classroom, to cut down on the noiseDoor/Steel/Mesh: for the server room door, for peace of mindHelp with getting the existing phone system up and running, for being able to dial other phones in the space, and linking that to VOIP

Storage:

Member storage bins: We are getting new members! Let’s have a few bins at the ready to get them on-boardSmall to Medium plastic bins: We can start subdividing or replacing cardboard boxes storing things in the parts storage

Materials:

Lumber: ask about specifics, but the two main projects that could use some lumber are for the electronics lab benches and for improvements to member storageEngraving plastic: for creating signage with Randy’s CNC!

Last year for Alchemy, we decided to launch a really ambitious art project on a really short timeline. It almost didn't get done, but we were able to get it out just in time... and it worked!

Ferris, Abigail, and Robin playing with the
bubble generator

Our project was to build a different kind of art car. Alan got the idea to build an Off Road Wheelchair for our friend Robin, who is an anthropologist and a disability advocate, so that she could get around these outdoor festivals to enjoy all of the crazy awesome stuff that happens there. We did the first round of fundraising at the Alchemy Art Fundraiser (FB event link here) and afterwards Alan, Joy, and Robin set up a second fundraiser at Freeside. Once they raised the money (which still had us on a razor-thin budget), I picked up the project from there and managed the planning and build. As it turned out, I was in way over my head.

The idea was this - Robin had a really hard time getting around at these events and spent most of her time at her camp. She has partial paralysis on her right side, making it really difficult for her to get around, especially on uneven terrain. There's sooo much to see there, so we wanted to help her out. But we didn't just want to help her get around, we wanted make her the most intimidating and crazy-powerful vehicle out there so that nothing would stand in her way! It was our way of making a statement and drawing attention to the idea that Radical Inclusion means that not only should everyone be welcome, but everyone should be able to join in. The way we saw it, if we had the ability to make that happen, then we should.

A rugged, human-powered wheelchair can cost between $2,500 and $8,000. An electric or gas-powered wheelchair can cost upwards of $10,000. Our chair had to take steep inclines (including "effigy hill") and rough terrain on its own power, run reliably for 3-4 day events with spotty access to infrastructure, and have similar accessibility, controls, and behavior to a normal wheelchair.

This was a huge dilemma, which we discussed in detail in our first blog post on the project. The only reasonable solution for our budget was to modify a high-torque zero-turn lawn mower to turn it into a super-powerful, ruggedized wheelchair. It's not ideal, but it's a surprisingly effective solution... especially with a 2 month, $2,300 project.

Humble beginnings for a crazily ambitious project.

So we found a crap zero-turn mower and bought it without the deck for $1,400. It was ugly, had structural damage, electrical problems, body damage, rust, no lights, and was really heavy. However, it also has a 20HP motor and working hydrostatic transmissions that distribute huge amounts of torque to the off road tires independently, meaning that the machine can pivot in place similarly to a regular wheelchair. It was a substance-over-style decision.

After that was a massive series of builds. We had over 30 people work on the project on and off. As the project wore on, we hit bottlenecks and people lost enthusiasm. There were a lot of challenges.

We had a huge number of things to get done to get the project ready. We needed to repair mechanical damage, do some structural welding, remove rust, reduce noise, repair the electrical system, add running lights, and give it style. We added a trailer hitch as well, but couldn't get the right kind of winch to attach to it in time. We'll have to take care of that on the next round.

Kate was one of the leaders on the project and did a lot of
mechanical work, as well as getting the new seat done.

Even with as many people as we had working on it, the project took every bit of the 2 months that we were allotted, including an almost sleepless 72-hour burn to wrap things up at the end.

Safety was the major concern. Everything we did was weighed, checked, and re-checked. We wanted to push the limits of the system, but we wanted to guarantee Robin's safety in the process. So we developed a testing program for the machine and a training program for operators. We watched some safety videos from zero-turn manufacturers together and built a training course behind the shop to practice circles, reverse circles, figure-eights, reverse figure-eights, and 5- 10- and 15-degree inclines from all angles of approach. It was a full day of work even after all of the planning we did.

Originally, Albert from Carbon Age Designs had designed a front clip to attach to the chair to reduce the likelihood of the chair tipping forward. However, we decided that the attachment could bottom our and cause the chair to roll forward, so it was too dangerous to use. Instead, we opted to include an inclinometer on the chair and train Robin on how to use it to keep the chair under 15 degrees for the initial test run. We have time to refine it later.

Igor and Smitty's last minute work to get the project ready

For style we looked to Ferris, one of the Directors at Freeside, who came up with the idea of setting up LED strips on the chair that robin could remote-control. He hacked together a battery power and IR receiver system for it that would be waterproof and set it up. He also added a bubble generator on it so that it will leave a trail of bubbles wherever it goes. We'll try blacklight bubbles on the next iteration.

Finally the day(s) of reckoning came and surprisingly... everything went better than expected! It worked the entire 4 days, though we did have to change the battery out at the end. It worked exactly the way we wanted it to and Robin even got to see the effigy burn up close for the first time. In fact, there was no camp at the event that she wasn't able to make it to including Area 51.

Of course, I wasn't totally satisfied. It was too noisy and I had really high expectations of the final result. The hacker in me wanted to build it from scratch, but the project manager in me was pretty satisfied with the short turnaround and low budget. We've got plenty of time to make it quieter, prettier, and more sleek. In the mean time, it gets the job done really effectively. When it comes down to it, that's really all the project was about in the first place.

Special thanks to Robin for her support and patience, and everyone that put your hard work into this project! We're going to keep developing it for this year's burns and push this idea as far as we can to develop a cost-effective, safe, and outrageous powered off road wheelchair.

Robin, looking stunning on her chariot of torque and ready to rock on any terrain.

Tuesday [5:30p]: CNC Build Project, Public, Free.

Freeside veterans, Preston and Eldon, will be leading this project to assemble and tune a smaller CNC for high-precision work, then design and build a full-size 4' x 4' CNC mill for the space as well.http://www.meetup.com/Freeside-Atlanta/events/109131302/

Have you been itching to donate things to Freeside, but you’re not sure what we need? Have you been looking for volunteer opportunities to use your awesome skills? This monthly post shall be your guide, henceforth!Items we need, in no particular order:

Paint (brighter colors especially, not black/grey/white): we are painting an internet meme explosion mural in the front bathroom, and Carrie needs more paint.